Illum nating attachment for keyboard musical instruments



B. G. KINGSLEY.

ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1919.

1,401,608, Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

4 SHEETSSHEET I I??? I W *W B. G. KINGSLEY.

ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOB KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, I919- 1,401,608, Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

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ILLUMINATTNG ATTACHMENT FOR KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION men SEPT. 29. m9.

1,401,608, PatentedDeo. 27, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

.57 y W m Will 7'! V w l- T .1 j g j g m L B. G. KINGSLEY.

ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29. I919.

1,401,608. Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- YHMW Wl/ITI Ell/E "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEQE.

ILLUHI'NATING ATTACEHENT FOR KEYBOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

: Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 27 1921.

Application filed September 29, 1919. Serial No. 327,092.

I 7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bnuon GORDON KINGS- LEY, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California,

haveinvented a certain new and useful Impzrovement in Illuminating Attachments for eyboard Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accomswitching attachment for the piano or organ. This attachment has a set of switches with their actuators arranged in such position that they may be operated by the player while his fingers are on the keys of the piano or organ and control circuits to suitable electric lamps of various colors, each switch corresponding to a given color. I also arrange the switches and circuits so that varying intensities of light may be producedjby varying actuations of the switch. Thus the switchmay, for instance, gradually cut out resistance to increase the intensity of the light or it may connect in the circuit additional lamps for the same purpose. -I prefer'to make, as the switch actuator, a pair of push buttons acting complementarily, the one serving to swing a switch arm in the on direction and the other in the off direction, the pushing in of one button being accompanied by an automatic outward movement of the other.

All of the above mentioned features, and others contributing to the efiiciency of my s stem, are included within my invention.

e invention is hereinaftermore fully described in connection with the embodiment thereof illustrated in the drawings and is summarized as to its essential novel features in the claims. 1

In the drawin Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan, and ig. 2 a diagrammatic elevation of a stage on which stands a' piano equipped with my switching attachment, and in the wings of which are illuminating standards controlled by the switches. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the piano equipped with my attachment; Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of the switching attachment an upright strip and the adjacent portion of the piano keyboard; Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of a portion of the attachment; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of a portion of the switching attachment adjacent to one of the switch arms; Fig. 7 is a front elevation of one of the lamp standards; Fig. 8 is a detail illustrating the reflector about the lamps; Fig. 9 is a diagram of electric wirin which may be employed; Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the electric connections.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, A is the case of the piano, the keys of which are desig-. nated a; the switch attachment is adapted to be removably clamped to the under side of the piano with the switch actuators in front of and slightly below the keys. As shown, the frame of the attachment 'comprises a base strip 10 to which is attached 11. To provide the adjustment the strip 11 may carry studs projecting through slots 13 in the plate 12,

these studs having wing nuts 15 screwing onto them.

The device just described is suitably clamped against the under sideof the key board frame and against the front thereof. Suitable padding, as, for instance, felt strips 16 and 17, may be inserted to prevent marring the piano. The clamping device shown consists of a pair of extensible struts which' extend from the floor against the under side of the frame plate 10. As shown, the struts comprise screws and tubular standards into which they are threaded. The base'plate 10 may be provided with socket members 26 having hemispherical cavities in which rest ball-shaped heads 21 .of the screws 22 WhlCll screw into tubular standards 23. The standards 23 rest on the floor and by turning the screws 22 (which may be readily done b grasping the roughened portion 25 thereof the attachment base 10 1s clamped against the under side of the piano frame The embodiment shown is desi ed for connecting five sets of lights which may have different colors, as, for mstance, wh 1te, red, yellow, blue violet. The sw tching mechanism for each of these five sets isidentical: As shown, itcomprlses a pan of push buttons 30 and 31, which have rac k teet h meshing with a'pijnion 32. This 1n1on 1a rigidf'on a vertical shaft 33 who carries ri 'dly at its lower end a swltch arm" 34. Tfiis switch arm is adapted to connect Wlth a series of contacts, as 41-4 carried m the one button will swing have provided for five intensities of light for each of the five different colors, by having five switch contacts 41-45 adapted to be engaged by the arm 34. In Fig. 6, this arm is shown in first on position. It may be mounted on an insulating bushing36 on the shaft 33 and may constantly contact with a conductor bar 46. It has an arc-shaped engaging portion 35, which in the first active position will contact with the first switch point 41; in the second position with the first two contacts 41 and 42; in the third position with three; in the fourth position with four, and the fifth position with all five v, contacts. A suitable detent device provides a slight resistance against moving the switch arm from one position to another,-so that the operator may readily tell by feeling when he pushes the button from one step to the next. This detent device is shown as a spring 37 bearing against the edge of the arc-shaped portion 35 on the arm 34, and adapted to engage periodic notches 38 therein.

The particular form of switch shown in Figs. 4 and 6 may be readily constructed by making the top member 18 and the bottom member 19 removable and the pinion 32 removably secured on the shaft 33. The contacts 41, etc. may have stems secured in place. by binding posts 47 providedwith nuts 48. The common contact 46 ma have a binding post .49. By locatin the binding posts at the rear, convenient e ectric connections may be made. The dimensions shown.for the switch proper are merely illustrative and the partsshown should be considerably heavier and more clearance allowed to carry the current sometimes desired, as will be readily understood. If desired this switch may be,

merely a pilot to direct a light current through corresponding relay magnets which would operate switches suitable for heavier current. Referring now to Figs. 1,2, and 7 50 designates a suitable standard carrying cross arms5-1 to 55 inclusive. Each of these cross arms is" shown as carrying fivalamps which we may consider as having colors of white, red, yellow, blue and violet. The lamps on one arm are of the same intensity. but those I on the different arms are preferably or difflector 59. The five switch contacts for each indigo.

.widmgaps to make a very appreciable difference in the illumination; for instance, the

lamps on the arm 51 may be of 15 watts;

those on the arm 52 of 40 watts; those on the arm 53, 100 watts, on 54, 250 watts, and

.55, 500 watts. These selections of wattage are of course merely illustrative. The lamp standards are preferably located out of si ht of the audience and each lamp is provi ed with a; reflector to direct the light toward the piano and the performer. One of-the lamps and its reflector is shown in Fig. 8, the lamp being designated 58 and the repair of push buttons are connected successively with the correspondingly colored lamps carriedby the five arms.

In operation, if the left hand push-button 30 is pushed in one notch, the contact 41 is engaged and the 15 watt white light is illuminated. If pushed farther, to cause engagement of the two contacts 41 and 42, the white lamps of 15 and 40 watts are illuminated, and so on, the final position illuminating all of the white lamps and providing in this case 905 watts. Similarly the second pair of push-buttons will illuminate the red lamps, the third, the yellow lamps and so on. The intensity may be varied up or down by pushing in one or the other but ton 30 or 31, as desired, and the lights entirely extinguished by pushing the button 31 in to its limit. i

The colors of the lamps may be so selected that various shades or intermediate colors maybe obtained by using two or more sets of lamps; thus, the white and red lamps together would give an approximately pink color; the red and yellow, orange; the yellow and blue a green color; the blue and violet,

It is desirable with the large number bf wires necessary to control the various lps. to arrange them in a suitable cable so that they may be readily carried with the equip ment, such cable leading from the piano attachment to the two standards and having suitable connection with the source of the current. I consider it desirable to have two plug terminals-adjacent to the correspondmg standards so that the connection may be made with the source of the current at either side of the stage. I

Fi 9 is a diagram illustrating the wiring withfthe lam? arranged as described. In thisdiag'ram and M indicate the two main lmes terminating at their opposite ends in plugs adapted to be connected to the source of current. Branches in lead from the line K to each of the switches 34, and branches m lead from all of the lamps to the line M,- From the contact point 41 a line P passes through the 15 watt lamp having the color correspondlng to the switch. A line Q 180 passes from the contact point 42 through the 40 watt lamp,and so on for the lines R, S and T. The various wires illustrated in the diagram may readily be combined into a cable of twenty-seven wires, that is, the five sets of five wires, P, Q, R, S, and T, and the two wires K and M.

To avoid the necessity of cabling so many wires to and from the attachment,.it may be feasible to obtain difierent intensities from a single lamp in each color set by means of reslstance. This is illustrated in the diagram and to-provide forillumination from pos1- tions hidden from the audience. The switch actuators are so located that they may be very conveniently operated by the thumbs of the player while his fingers are on the keys, and he is thus ableito flood'the region around the piano with an illumination of a color and an-intensity which he' deems most appropriate for the particular tones, chords,

motifs ormusical figures being produced at that time.

' by an'interposed colored pane. The varia-' It is to be understood that many changes may be made in the particular form of apparatus illustrated without departing from my invention. For instance, while have referred to lamps of various colors, this does not mean that the lamp globe must. be colored as the same efiect mightbe produced tion of the intensity might be effected by means of shields, operated by magnets controlled by the switches, rather than varying it within the lamp itself. Various changes in the switch mechanism. and the means for holding it in place will also suggest themselves to those skilled in this art.

I claim:

1. The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard, of a set of controlling. devices located adjacent to the keyboard and adapted to-control illumination of different colors independently of the keys;

2. The combination with a musical instru- ,ment having a keyboard, of; a means for producing illumination of various colors adapted to interpret the emotions produced by the music and a set of controlling devices operable independently of the notes produced corres ment having a keyboard, of a set of electric lamps adapted to give diflerent colored illumination adapted to interpret the emotions produced by the music, a set of switches operable independently of the notes produced, one corresponding to each color and means for holding said switches in proximity to the keyboard.

4. The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard, of illuminating means, and means adapted to be operated by the-player independently of the notes produced while pla ing for varying the intensity of the illumlnation to interpret the emo tions produced by the music.

5. The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard, of a set ,of controlling devices located adjacent to the keyboard and adapted to control illumination of different colors independently of the notes produced, each controlling device corresponding to a ,difierent color and having means for varying the intensity of such color.

6. The combination with a musical instru ment having a keyboard, of illuminating means adapted to interpret the emotions pro duced by t e music, and means adapted to be operated by the hands-of the player while his fingers are on the keys and independently of the notes producedfor 'controllingthe character of the illumination whereby the illumination may be varied according to the operators interpretation of the music produced.

7. The combination with a musical instrument havin a keyboard, an electric lamp, a switch for t e lamp, and an actuator for the switch supported in front ofthe keysand in position to be en aged by the hand of the player while his ngers are. on the keys and independently ofthe notes produced.-

8. The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard, an illuminating device and a switch therefor, means for removably clamping the switch to the musical instrument with its actuating portion in position to be engaged by the hand of the (player,

while his fingers are on the ke s an pendently of the notes produce 9, The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard, an electric switching device andan extensible structure engaging the floor and pressing the switching device upwardl against the musical instrument beneath t e keyboard.

10'. The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard of an electric switching device and a pair oi extensible legs each consistin of a screw and a standard enga 'ng the oor and pressing the switch ing evice upwardl a inst the musical instrument' beneath t e eyboard.

11.The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard, of an electric switching device, said switching device hovindeing a vertically adjustable portion extending upwardly to a point adjacent to the front end of the keys and having actuating members carried by said portion.

12. The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard of an electric switching device and an extensible structure engaging the floor and pressing the switching device upwardly against the musical instrument beneath the keyboard, said switching device having a vertically adjustable front portion extending upwardly to a point comparatively near the front end of the keys.

- 13. The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard, of a frame, a pair of extension legs engaging the floor and clamping said frame against the under side of the keyboard frame, said clamping frame having an adjustable front plate, and a manually operable switch carried by said front plate.

14. The combination with a'set of switches adapted to be clamped forward of and below the keyboard of a musical instrument, of electric lamps for causing illumination of various colors, and circuits from the switches to the lamps.

15. The combination with a set of switches adapted to be clamped and adjacent to the keyboard of a musical instrument of a pair of standards remote from the instrument and carrying lamps for causing illumination of various colors, and circuits from the switches to the lamps of both standards.

16. The combination of a set of switches adapted to be clamped adjacent to the keyboard of a musical instrument and operated independently thereof, a pair of standards adapted to be located at the opposite sides of the musical instrument, each standard having sets of lamps of different colors, and a set of conductors leading'from the switching devices to the respective lamps.

17. The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard, of lamps of various colors, 'a set of switches adjacent to the keyboard each switch governing the lighting. of tne lamps of one color, each switch having several positions to 'cause a different intensity of such color.

18. The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard, of a set of lamp equipments adapted toproduce various colswitch having various positions adapted to produce diiferent intensities of its color, each switch having two mutually connected push members enabling it to be operated in either direction.

20. The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard of a groupof electric lamps grouped in sets of difi'erent wattage, each set having lamps of various colors, a set of switches located adjacent to the keyboard of the musical instrument, each switch corresponding to one of the colors and each switch having various positions, and.

circuits for connecting switches with the various lamps.

21. The combination with a musical instrument having a keyboard, of a standard having arms, groups of electric lamps on the arms, the lamps being grouped in sets of different wattage, each set having lamps of various colors, a set of switches located adjacent to the keyboard of the musical instrument, each switch corresponding to one of the colors and each switch having various positions, and circuits for connecting switches with the various lamps.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aifix-my signature.

BRUCE GORDON KINGSLEY. 

